Machine for arranging cans in position

ABSTRACT

The disclosure relates to a machine for arranging cans, of the type wherein cans or similar articles are fed by a conventional belt conveyor into a tunnel-like structure which is maintained at sub-atmospheric pressure, and through which passes a flight of a second conveyor having pocket partitions presenting pockets therebetween and the partitions extending partly across the tunnel. At the entrance of the tunnel the width is slightly greater than the width of the partition plus the width of the cans. As a pocket partition of the second conveyor and a can arrive at the tunnel entrance, the movement of the can with respect to the conventional conveyor is accelerated so that the can tends to align itself with a pocket between the partitions of the second conveyor. The wall of the tunnel opposite the second conveyor flight constitutes a cam surface which moves the can into a pocket on the second conveyor. This disclosure provides means to prevent damage to cans being fed, which results from a can, not properly aligned with a pocket, being forced by said cam surface against a pocket partition and thus being dented.

ite States Taggart et al.

[4 1 Mar.5,1974

[ 4] MACHHNE roa ARRANGING CANS IN rosrriou [75] Inventors: Robert E. Taggart, Carmel, Calif.;

Donald E. Miller, Lafayette, Ohio [73] Assignee: The Stolle Corporation, Sidney,

Ohio

[22] Filed: Sept. 15, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 289,411.

Primary ExaminerRichard E. Aegerter Attorney, Agent, or Firm--.lohn W. Melville; Albert E. Strasser; Stanley H. Foster [57] ABSTRACT The disclosure relates to a machine for arranging cans, of the type wherein cans or similar articles are fed by a conventional belt conveyor into a tunnel-like structure which is maintained at sub-atmospheric pressure, and through which passes a flight of a second conveyor having pocket partitions presenting pockets therebetween and the partitions extending partly across the tunnel. At the entrance of the tunnel the width is slightly greater than the width of the partition plus the width of the cans. As a pocket partition of the second conveyor and a can arrive at the tunnel entrance, the movement of the can with respect to the conventional conveyor is accelerated so that the can tends to align itself with a pocket between the partitions of the second conveyor. The wall of the tunnel opposite the second conveyor flight constitutes a cam surface which moves the can into a pocket on the second conveyor. This disclosure provides means to prevent damage to cans being fed, which results from a can, not properly aligned with a pocket, being forced by said cam surface against a pocket partition and thus being dented.

2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures MACHINE FOR ARRANGIING CANS llN POSITION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION U.S. Pat. No. 3,650,566 issued Mar. 21, 1972 to Richard G. Lee et al. discloses a machine for arranging cans and the like wherein a more or less conventional belt conveyor feeds cans to a tunnel-like structure. The belt conveyor constitutes the bottom of the tunnel and one flight of a conveyor having pocket partitions constitutes a side wall of the tunnel. The tunnel has a top wall and the opposite side wall provides a cam surface. At the entrance to the tunnel the width of the tunnel is such that when a pocket partition and a can are sideby-side there is clearance between the cam surface and the pocket partition. The tunnel is maintained at subatmospheric pressure so that a pressure differential prevails. As a can enters the tunnel, this pressure differential causes the can to accelerate with respect to the belt conveyor upon which it is riding, and tends to bring it opposite one of the pockets constituted by the pocket partitions. As the can approaches the cam rise, the can is urged toward the partition and enters a partition. Succeeding cans follow the same process so that each pocket is provided with a can. Reference is made to the above named patent for understanding of the details of operation of the apparatus.

It has been found that frequently a can or other container will not be properly aligned with a pocket as it reaches the rise of the cam surface, and will become pinched between the cam surface and the edge of one of the pocket partitions. When such interference occurs, the opening through which the can must pass is less in width than the can diameter and severe creasing or denting occurs in the can wall.

Attempts have been made to avoid this problem by balancing of air flows, changing the shapes of the cam surface, elongating the cam surface, but none of these has proved satisfactory.

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an improvement whereby the problem above outlined is entirely avoided. This is accomplished by providing for flexibility of the cam surface in the area where the width of the tunnel has been reduced to be approximately equal to the width ofa pocket partition, plus the width of the can. This flexibility may be achieved in a number of ways and two particular ways are disclosed herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is a somewhat diagrammatic view in plan illustrating the situation in the prior art apparatus,

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. l, showing one embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view similar to FIG. 2 showing another embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The details of the machine will not be described because it is fully described in the aforementioned patent. A pocket conveyor is indicated generally at and it comprises a plurality of pocket forming partitions II. It will be understood that the cans approaching from the left of the Figure ride upon a conventional belt conveyor having the cross plates 40. It will be observed that the opposite side wall of the tunnel structure indicated at 112 includes a cam rise indicated at 13. The

tunnel structure indicated generally at 114 is provided with a top wall 41 (shown broken away in FIG. I), and the belt upon which the cans ride constitutes the bottom wall. Means are provided according to said patent as at 42 for producing a sub-atmospheric pressure in the tunnel 14.

As the cans 15 enter the tunnel and come opposite one of the partition walls 11, the greater portion of the tunnel entrance is closed so that the sub-atmospheric pressure within the tunnel creates a pressure differential which tends to accelerate the cans after they are in the tunnel. Thus the particular can indicated at M) is caused to move to the dotted line position I7 where it is opposite a pocket 18 of the conveyor.

It will be observed that a can which is somewhat misaligned, as the can indicated in broken lines at I9, may come into contact with one of the partition walls indicated at Ila and under the influence of the cam rise 13, the partition Illa will produce a crease or dent in the can wall. This has been a very severe problem.

According to the present invention, a portion at least of the cam surface in the area where the width of the tunnel becomes approximately equal to the width of the partitions plus the width of the can, is made yieldable. Thus, it may yield when a misaligned can abuts a partition and thereby cause the can to enter a succeeding pocket without being in any way damaged.

Referring to FIG. 2, wherein extraneous prior art elements have been omitted for clarity, a hinge 20 is pro vided at the end of the cam rise 13 and an arm 21 is thus hingedly attached. A spring 22 urges the hinged arm in the direction of the arrow 23. A thin band of metal 24 is secured at one end as at 25 to the member 12, and at its other end to the arm 21. The spring 22 causes the band to assume the position shown in solid lines. If a can arrives at the position shown in dotted lines at 26, the band 24 yields to the dotted line position 24a against the compression of the spring 22, with the arm 21 pivoting in the direction of the arrow 27. As a result of this action, with the pockets l8 advancing toward the right, the can will be moved to the position indicated at 28 where it cleanly enters the pocket indicated at 1821 without being in any way damaged.

A second embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 3. In this embodiment there is incorporated in the cam rise 13 a chamber indicated at 30 which is closed on the tunnel side by a flexible membrane 3l. Fluid pressure is introduced into the chamber 30 through a duct 32 and conventional means are provided for adjusting the pressure. From the foregoing description, it will be clear that a can 33 in the position shown will not be forced by the surface 13 against the partition Ila because the membrane 31 will yield to the broken line position 31a so that the can may then enter the pocket 18b without being damaged in any way.

It will be understood that the entire cam rise I3 may be constituted by a flexible membrane and chamber 30, but it is only necessary that this flexible membrane be provided in the area where the tunnel has narrowed to the point where its width is about equal to the width of a partition lll plus the width of a can 33. Further, the entire cam surface may be constituted by a flexible, yieldable band, such as rubber or the like.

It should also be observed that this apparatus is not restricted to cans or other cylindrical objects. As a matter of fact, plastic and glass containers, bottles. and the like, whether regularly or irregularly shaped, can also be arranged with this apparatus. Therefore the use of the term cans in the claims is intended to include any such objects to be arranged.

It will be clear that numerous modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and no limitation not specifically set forth is intended or should be implied.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a conveyor for cans and the like, wherein a conveyor having pocket partitions providing pockets therebetween passes through a tunnel, said pocket conveyor constituting one side wall of said tunnel, a belt conveyor for the cans extending through said tunnel constituting the bottom wall thereof, said tunnel having a top wall, and a wall opposite said pocket conveyor which includes a cam surface, the width of said tunnel at its entrance, and over a substantial portion of its length, being slightly greater than the width of the partitions plus the width of a can, there being means to maintain a sub-atmospheric pressure in said tunnel, and wherein, by virtue of said sub-atmospheric pressure, a can entering said tunnel at the same time as a pocket partition, is accelerated by the pressure differential to move to a position substantially aligned with a pocket, and is then urged into said pocket by said cam surface; the improvement which comprises: a hinged arm at the end of the rise of said cam surface, said arm extending substantially to the top of said rise, and a thin metallic band secured at one of its ends adjacent the end of said cam surface at the entrance to said tunnel and at its other end to said hinged arm, the at rest position of said arm and the length of said band being such that said band is tensioned away from said cam surface, and spring means associated with said arm to permit said arm to hinge and thereby the band to yield toward said cam surface, in the event that a misaligned can is being forced against a partition, whereby such can is caused to enter a succeeding pocket without being dented.

2. In a conveyor for cans and the like, wherein a conveyor having pocket partitions providing pockets therebetween passes through a tunnel, said pocket conveyor constituting one side wall of said tunnel, a belt conveyor for the cans extending through said tunnel constituting the bottom wall thereof, said tunnel having a top wall, and a wall opposite said pocket conveyor which includes a cam surface, the width of said tunnel at its entrance, and over a substantial portion of its length, being slightly greater than the width of the partitions plus the width ofa can, there being means to maintain a sub-atmospheric pressure in said tunnel, and wherein, by virtue of said sub-atmospheric pressure, a can entering said tunnel at the same time as a pocket partition, is accelerated by the pressure differential to move to a position substantially aligned with a pocket, and is then urged into said pocket by said cam surface; the improvement which comprises; a portion, at least, of the rise of said cam surface, constituted of a flexible diaphragm forming a side of an airtight enclosure, and means to supply said enclosure with fluid under pressure, the pressure supply being regulatable, whereby said diaphragm may yield when subjected to an exter nal force created by a misaligned can being forced against a partition, and so to cause said can to enter a succeeding pocket without being dented, 

1. In a conveyor for cans and the like, wherein a conveyor having pocket partitions providing pockets therebetween passes through a tunnel, said pocket conveyor constituting one side wall of said tunnel, a belt conveyor for the cans extending through said tunnel constituting the bottom wall thereof, said tunnel having a top wall, and a wall opposite said pocket conveyor which includes a cam surface, the width of said tunnel at its entrance, and over a substantial portion of its length, being slightly greater than the width of the partitions plus the width of a can, there being means to maintain a sub-atmospheric pressure in said tunnel, and wherein, by virtue of said sub-atmospheric pressure, a can entering said tunnel at the same time as a pocket partition, is accelerated by the pressure differential to move to a position substantially aligned with a pocket, and is then urged into said pocket by said cam surface; the improvement which comprises: a hinged arm at the end of the rise of said cam surface, said arm extending substantially to the top of said rise, and a thin metallic band secured at one of its ends adjacent the end of said cam surface at the entrance to said tunnel and at its other end to said hinged arm, the ''''at rest'''' position of said arm and the length of said band being such that said band is tensioned away from said cam surface, and spring means associated with said arm to permit said arm to hinge and thereby the band to yield toward said cam surface, in the event that a misaligned can is being forced against a partition, whereby such can is caused to enter a succeeding pocket without being dented.
 2. In a conveyor for cans and the like, wherein a conveyor having pocket partitions providing pockets therebetween passes through a tunnel, said pocket conveyor constituting one side wall of said tunnel, a belt conveyor for the cans extending through said tunnel constituting the bottom wall thereof, said tunnel having a top wall, and a wall opposite said pocket conveyor which includes a cam surface, the width of said tunnel at its entrance, and over a substantial portion of its length, being slightly greater than the width of the partitions plus the width of a can, there being means to maintain a sub-atmospheric pressure in said tunnel, and wherein, by virtue of said sub-atmospheric pressure, a can entering said tunnel at the same time as a pocket partition, is accelerated by the pressure differential to move to a position substantially aligned with a pocket, and is then urged into said pocket by said cam surface; the improvement which comprises: a portion, at least, of the rise of said cam surface, constituted of a flexible diaphragm forming a side of an airtight enclosure, and means to supply said enclosure with fluid under pressure, the pressure supply being regulatable, whereby said diaphragm may yield when subjected to an external force created by a misaligned can being forced against a partition, and so to cause said can to enter a succeeding pocket without being dented. 